MRM News: Carving Out Franchise Success

When There Is Conflict Between and Among Individuals on Your Restaurant Team

One of the most difficult performance issues with which managers commonly struggle is conflicts between and among team members. These conflicts emerge from different sources. Sometimes people just don’t like each other. Other times there are real gripes, personal and professional.

You can make these conflicts a whole lot less likely to emerge by being the kind of boss who keeps every employee focused on getting work done.

You cannot referee every argument. But you can make these conflicts a whole lot less likely to emerge by being the kind of boss who keeps every employee focused on getting work done. If you keep your employees busy with work, they have less time to have conflicts with each other. When you are coaching employees every day, spelling out expectations, and tracking performance every step of the way, employees are less likely to worry about each other and more likely to worry about getting their own work done. And the more focused everyone is on the work they have in common, the more likely they are to cooperate. When conflicts do happen, if you are all over the details, you will know what’s in character and out of character for each person, what rings true and what doesn’t. You will be in a better position to evaluate and make appropriate decisions.

If you have an unusual number of conflicts among your employees, it’s critical that you figure out why that is. Most likely, you are part of the problem. If you are not spelling out expectations and tracking performance, employees blame each other for problems that occur and resent each other because there is no real accountability. The stronger the hand you take, the more likely you will be to squeeze out the airspace for a lot of these conflicts. But maybe it’s not you. It could be that there is something about the way your team functions that is causing problems. Is there a high level of interdependence, where team members have to rely on each other inordinately? Are there standard operating procedures in place to ensure that this interdependence flows smoothly? Maybe you can eliminate or improve aspects of your business process to reduce unnecessary conflict.

Of course, sometimes people just don’t like each other. This is one of the most common and vexing challenges managers face. Negative social dynamics at work cause stress, diminish cooperation, and have a measurable impact on productivity, quality, morale and turnover.

At the individual level, the least likeable characters in any workplace are those who complain, blame others, and entangle coworkers in their personal issues. If you can help those individuals replace their negative behaviors with good communication habits, you will eliminate the most common sources of interpersonal conflict.

Not all attitude problems in the workplace are clearly attributable to any one person. Some derive from social dynamics.

If certain employees often clash with each other, then do what you can to keep them apart, working in different areas or on different shifts. If some employees are prone to conflicts, discuss this issue in your regular coaching dialogue with those individuals. Before there is another conflict, remind them how to avoid conflict and interact in positive ways with others. Tell them what to say and how to say it so that they can engage in conflict-free interactions, if necessary.

However, not all attitude problems in the workplace are clearly attributable to any one person. Some derive from social dynamics. Sometimes team conflict is just a clash between two particular individuals. Other times it’s more complex. Sometimes everybody is implicated somehow or another.

If there is a high level of interpersonal conflict on your team, ask yourself, “Why do my direct reports have enough time on their hands at work to focus on interpersonal conflicts with each other?”

Again, this level of conflict is almost always indicative of undermanagement. Interpersonal conflict usually only has room to flower in a relative leadership vacuum. If you don’t have clear, regularly enforced operating procedures, you leave room for clashes of style and preference. If you don’t have good performance management in place, there will be more rivalry for attention, resources, recognition, and reward. If you are not spelling out expectations and tracking performance, employees blame each other for problems.

If you get back to practicing the fundamentals with discipline, you will suck the oxygen right out of most conflicts. Make sure every individual is highly focused every day on getting lots of work done very well, very fast. Remind everybody repeatedly about the broad performance standards – including the standards for good professional communication, cooperation, and mutual support.

When There Is Conflict Between and Among Individuals on Your Restaurant Team posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes Acquired, Pie Five’s Redesign and the D-Gulls

Served up on today’s plate are some restaurant acquisitions, a redesign for Pie Five, Chipotle’s charitable effort and Captain D’s biggest fans. Send news items of interest to Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine’s Executive Editor Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com or modernrestaurantmanagement@gmail.com.

 

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes Acquired

Perpetual Capital Partners and CR3 Capital, an investment affiliate of CR3 Partners, acquired Garden Fresh Restaurants’ 97-unit soup, salad, and bakery restaurant chain. Based in San Diego, CA, the company operates under two brand names: Souplantation in Southern California and Sweet Tomatoes elsewhere. The acquisition follows the company’s resurgence out of bankruptcy earlier this year. CR3 Partners led the restructuring and has been managing the company for several months. 

“Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes are uniquely positioned with an extremely loyal customer base and dedicated restaurant teams,” said Gene Baldwin, Garden Fresh Restaurants interim CEO and partner at CR3 Partners. “This creates new opportunities for all of our employees, guests and business partners as we move forward.”

The acquisition follows the company’s resurgence out of bankruptcy earlier this year. CR3 Partners led the restructuring and has been managing the company for several months. 

Perpetual Capital Partners is a private company that invests in, acquires, owns and operates middle market businesses. The firm is a long-term investor that employs a collaborative and proactive investment approach, providing capital, corporate and strategic resources to help companies create value and achieve long-term sustainable growth. CR3 Capital, LLC is an operationally-focused private equity firm that invests in North American middle market companies. 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

J. Alexander’s to Acquire 99 Restaurants

J. Alexander’s, Fidelity Newport Holdings LLC and Fidelity National Financial Ventures LLC,  a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of FNF, entered into a definitive agreement under which J. Alexander’s will acquire 99 Restaurants, LLC in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $199 million, including the assumption of $20 million in net debt. The transaction was approved by the board of directors of J. Alexander’s and the board of managers at FNH and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017. FNH is a majority-owned subsidiary of FNFV.

“Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub is a well operated concept,” said Lonnie J. Stout II, President and Chief Executive Officer of J. Alexander’s. “Founded in 1952, they are a strong regional competitor in the New England market with 106 restaurants currently in operation. They have a culture very similar to ours in that they are committed to outstanding guest service and putting employees first. Led by President Charlie Noyes, Ninety Nine has a tenured and deep management team. The team has weathered the casual dining headwinds very well and has posted same store sales growth over the last few years that has outperformed the market. They have a regional menu supported by a strong value proposition with a heavy concentration of restaurants in Massachusetts and the other New England states. This creates somewhat of a moat around the business. Another appealing characteristic is there is a solid business at Ninety Nine. It is a well-managed company. For all these reasons, we believe the Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub group will be a perfect fit with our management philosophy at J. Alexander’s.”

Stout continued, “Since we were spun out of Fidelity National Financial, Inc. in September of 2015, we have considered various strategic options to growing our business. We believe the acquisition of the Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub group will help us with scaling our business. During 2016, Charlie and his team generated over $300 million in total net revenue and approximately $30 million of Adjusted EBITDA with an average check per guest, including alcoholic beverages, of $15.82. We believe this transaction will be significantly accretive to our earnings in 2018. We believe this additional scale and liquidity will benefit all of our existing shareholders. Our Board has been narrowly focused on creating shareholder value. We believe the Ninety Nine acquisition is a key step in that direction.”

The J. Alexander’s senior leadership team will continue to manage the combined company following the closing of the transaction. In connection with the transaction, William P. Foley, II is expected to join the J. Alexander’s board of directors. There are no other expected changes to the J. Alexander’s board of directors or its executive officers in connection with the transaction.

Stephens Inc. has provided a fairness opinion. Bass, Berry & Sims PLC is serving as legal advisor to J. Alexander’s, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is serving as legal advisor to FNFV.

Chipotle Donating to Maryland SPCA

To help feed homeless pets at the Maryland SPCA and hungry pets in Maryland, Chipotle Mexican Grill will donate 50 percent of proceeds to the non-profit organization on qualifying purchases made on Thursday, August 10  at all 81 Chipotle restaurants in Maryland.

“The summer months are always our busiest time at the shelter – placing a significant strain on our resources,” said Jim Peirce, executive director of the Maryland SPCA. “This amazing opportunity with Chipotle Mexican Grill can help us replenish our supplies and continue to feed hungry pets in our shelter and across our community. When you eat at Chipotle on August 10th, you are feeding a hungry pet.”

In order for the MD SPCA to receive 50 percent of every purchase, restaurant patrons must:

• Notify the cashier, before paying for order, that they are there to support the Maryland SPCA. If the cashier isn’t notified, the MD will not receive credit for the purchase.
• Choose the pay-in-store option when ordering online and inform the cashier, prior to paying, that they are there to support the Maryland SPCA.
• Purchases made with a customers’ existing gift cards will count as long as they mention to the cashier, prior to presenting gift card, that they are there to support the Maryland SPCA. Any gift cards purchased during the fundraiser will not count toward donated sales.

“This fundraiser is so important because the Maryland SPCA relies on community support and fundraisers like Maryland SPCA Day at Chipotle to care for and feed hungry pets. Many people think that we are associated with the ASPCA – but that is not the case. We don’t receive any funding from the ASPCA,” added Peirce.

Last year, thanks to the community’s support, the MD SPCA was able to care for more than 3,500 dogs and cats and provided an additional 18.4 tons of food to feed hungry pets in needy homes throughout the state.

For more information about the Chipotle fundraiser for the MD SPCA, including restaurant locations, visit www.mdspca.org.

Pie Five’s New Design

Pie Five Pizza Co. fans who step into the company’s newest location at 8315 Preston Rd. in Plano will notice the brand’s updated contemporary logo and new restaurant design.

“After doing a significant amount of research, we recognized a shift in consumer behavior that provided an opportunity to make some exciting enhancements to our brand,” said Scott Crane, CEO of Pie Five parent company Rave Restaurant Group, Inc. “We approached the process of concept refinement, as well as our new test prototype design, in keeping with our passion for elevating the guest experience. Our team is excited to share this next-generation Pie Five with our guests.” 

 

Pie Five’s fast casual concept provides guests with a fully customizable experience from start to finish. 

The fast casual also launched all-new customizable mobile app on July 25. Pie Five’s mobile app was developed by Punchh, a cloud-based technology platform that builds engagement, loyalty and superior, customized experiences for the restaurant industry. 

“We understand the importance of modernizing and simplifying our guests’ experiences, which is why we spent a great deal of time developing and enhancing our new app,” said Kimberly Turman, Digital Marketing Manager for Pie Five. “With this technology, we will be able to offer a sophisticated, meaningful experience to our guests and really know who they are, which will help us distinguish ourselves within our competitive space.”

 

Captain D’s Introduces the D-Gulls

Captain D’s introduced its biggest fans—the D-Gulls, Dave & Desmond. The mascot introduction coincides with the announcement of Captain D’s $4.99 Full Meal Deals.

“Who knows seafood better than a pair of seagulls that hail from the coast?” says Bob Kraut, Captain D’s CMO. “Of course, our guests love our food just as much and appreciate our relaxing, seaside dining atmosphere where we bring a taste of the coast to every table. We believe everyone should be able to enjoy great seafood … except for the D-Gulls. Don’t feed the D-Gulls.”

Nearly 60 percent of all restaurants have been reimaged to the brand’s new coastal design with another 50 locations to be remodeled by the end of this year. With 521 restaurants in 21 states, Captain D’s is the number one seafood franchise in America ranked by average unit volume. The company is currently seeking single- and multi-unit operators to join in the brand’s expansion.

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes Acquired, Pie Five’s Redesign and the D-Gulls posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

How to Write a Standout Restaurant Manager Resume [With Free Template]

Despite knowing how to upsell food to hungry diners, so many restaurant managers and servers don’t know how to sell themselves.

No matter how comfortable or complacent you are in your current role, creating a standout resume is a skill that all restaurant managers need to perfect if they want to grow their career in the restaurant industry.

Of all restaurant positions, food and beverage managers and GMs have the most to lose from an unprofessional resume. With just a few resources and tips, we’ll help you create a truly impressive restaurant manager resume that’s sure to stand out.

This free resume template features sample copy and design, which will help you get a head start on the most difficult part of creating a resume. Take a look at it, and then use the advice below to customize your resume so it stands out in the stack.

Download a free restaurant manager resume template here.

Know the Restaurant You’re Applying To

Every resume should be tailor-made for the restaurant you’re applying for. Once you know your target audience – whether it’s a fast casual pizza place or a fine dining Italian bistro – all other decisions will fall into place.

Ask yourself questions like:

• Is the job purely about managing a team, or will it require both cooking chops and customer service chops?
• Will you be required to run all pre-shift meetings and make sure every server or cashier is on their game?
• Who is the employer – a franchisee, a career-switcher hoping to make a name for themselves, or a chef/owner who simply loves food?

Once you’ve outlined what’s most important to the restaurant and the job you’re applying for, you can carefully target your resume. You’ll know what skills or traits to highlight, what stories to mention, and which parts of your background will be most interesting.

Define What Sets You Apart 

Great restaurant resumes stand out because they’re different. To stand out, you need a one or two sentence value proposition that tell the owner exactly what skills, characteristics, and experiences you have that set you apart from the rest of the resumes in the stack.

Is it your ability to be the eyes on the ears in the front of the house and the back of the house? Is it your unique approach to creating a restaurant culture where every employee feels acknowledged and appreciated? Or perhaps it’s your unique approach to employee gamification to retain staff?  

To a large extent, your value proposition depends on the type of restaurant you’re targeting. Quick service restaurants, full service restaurants, and pizzerias often look for completely different skill sets. Think about what makes you uniquely valuable, and how that aligns with the jobs you’re applying to.

Determine Your Restaurant Resume Strategy

It’s crucial to determine your messaging strategy before you write a single word of your resume. Here are some of the things to think about:

• What is the best structure for your resume in order to highlight your unique skills?
• Which keywords will the restaurant owner be looking for?
• How can you give real world examples of your successes? (Think about marketing campaigns you’ve run for past restaurants, employee management strategies you’ve tried, or any time you’ve influenced big decisions such as which restaurant POS system to implement.)
• What is the best layout and design to reinforce your message?

 

All these decisions should be made before you start writing, and they should all be made with your target restaurant in mind.

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How to Write a Standout Restaurant Manager Resume [With Free Template] posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

Five Tips On Hiring A Chef For Your Restaurant

Chefs are the lifeblood of your restaurant. You can have the best ingredients, ambiance and service, but if you don’t have a talented chef who can prepare the food properly, then you won’t have much of a business.

Talent is not always easy to spot, and selecting the right applicant can be a world of pain for restaurant operators. Here are five tips for hiring the perfect chef without getting your fingers burned.

1. Know Who You’re Looking For

Knowing who you want to hire is the most obvious starting point. If you’re receiving applications from Le Cordon Bleu graduates when you’re running a backyard rib shack, then you’re wasting everyone’s time, so be specific about the type of candidates you’re looking for. Additionally, consider the personal qualities that will help your chef thrive in a high-pressure kitchen environment, such as:

• Leadership skills — the chef is in charge of the entire kitchen so he or she needs to be able to motivate and manage people
• An even temperament
• An eye for quality and high standards of customer service
• Time management skills
• Attention to detail

2. Consider the Hiring Options

You have a number of options for sourcing quality candidates: using a recruiting agency, posting a job ad, word-of-mouth advertising or hiring internally. Each approach has its pros and cons but none are particularly quick. If you need to find a chef on short notice, consider using Merlin.

 

Merlin matches you with qualified candidates based on the position you’re hiring for.

 

3. Check for Commitment

The restaurant industry is notorious for having high staff turnover. Unless you’re opening a seasonal pop up, it’s important to choose candidates who have a track record of stability — meaning they have stuck with their current position for at least a year. Less time than that, and there’s no record of how well the chef managed the seasonal ups and downs of a restaurant.

 

4. Taste Their Food

 

There’s no point hiring a chef who looks great on paper but doesn’t know his dill from his dijon. Before you make any decisions, have your candidates design the sort of menu your customers will be eating every day to a strict budget. Then, have them cook for you. This is a good opportunity to talk through the chef’s ideas and figure out if he has the common sense to control costs while delivering a quality dish. Plus, there’s no substitute for tasting the product.

 

5. Contact Their References

 

At the minimum, you should be calling the candidate’s references and checking if he or she is punctual, effective, honest and focused. If you’ve identified a weak spot in the candidate’s profile — for example, they’re weak in supervising — be sure to ask their references about it. A good question to ask is, “Would you rehire this person for a new position?”

 

The Bottom Line

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to hiring a new chef. Cooking skills are vital, but so are planning, consistency, cost control and customer service. Remember hiring a chef is one of the most important decisions you will make for your business.

Merlin is currently live in New York City and is available on iOS (http://ift.tt/2vGlpqc) and Android (http://ift.tt/2wzzZfw).

Five Tips On Hiring A Chef For Your Restaurant posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

Grubhub Yelps, P.F. Chang’s Opens in U.K. and Shoney’s Helps

MRM News: Why Is Customer Appreciation Important for Franchises?

Customers received the “Roy”al treatment from the team at Roy Rogers in Brick, N.J. during Customer Appreciation Week.  In this MRM News clip, franchisee Ed Abramson, who is also owner/operator of the Roy Rogers location in Pine Beach, N.J., discusses the importance of customer appreciation all year long. 

The restaurant chain, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2018, continues to seek out franchise expansion opportunities.

 

MRM News: Why Is Customer Appreciation Important for Franchises? posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com